There are many things we can say about the failings and ills of our society, but the most worrying are
the apathy and abstinence from positive and proactive input from certain sectors. Many have
become spectators of life rather than participants; television for example, in the form of reality
shows creates confusion between fame and achievement and because of its accessible nature and
selective (edited) exposure of facts, gives the false impression that such things are easily gained
without the investment of learning, effort or struggle. As a result viewers, particularly but not
exclusively the young, find themselves disconnected and struggling to find a purpose in a world that
does not match their expectations.

What to do?

While there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution there are, in my opinion, things that can be done to
provide these people once more with a sense of doing, being and purpose; to feel that their
existence is justified just.

What better way to show evidence of our existence and identity (apart from creating children), than
to leave behind a tangible object created by hand?

Today the media is full to bursting, of programmes and articles dedicated to the tangible handmade
achievements of the past, such as the Antiques Road Show, Victorian/Edwardian Farm and most
recently, Handmade in Britain (to name but a few), where experts extol the virtues of craftsmen and
craftsmanship. They talk about the detail, the design, the skill, the workmanship and the fact that
many of these items are still in working use, literally hundreds of years later.

These antique objects and artefacts were as a result of ‘skilled manual labour’ the bi product of
which was being usefully occupied. There was a time when the term ‘manual labour’ meant and
(maybe in some eyes) still does mean today, demeaning, soulless work. However, we have forgotten
(or choose to ignore) that manual labour, although sometimes hard, was also associated with an
honest day’s work and more often than not there was something tangible to show for the efforts
expended at the end of the day. In that time, it is possible, even likely, that when such a person put
their head on the pillow at night, tired and aching, they did not realise the significance and
importance of their exertions and maybe would not have been aware that they were satisfying an
innate need to be manually as well as mentally occupied.

Today, not only is very little built to last but also few people expect things to last, in their constant search for ‘the next thing’, this ‘have it all and having it now’ approach has been of no help and indeed has caused the financial mess the planet now finds itself in.

Nevertheless, there are some who are fully aware of the significance of such noble exertions, which I
repeat; we celebrate on a regular basis. Manual occupation is still one of the best ways to satisfy this primeval need and that there is nothing wrong in going to bed tired and aching, knowing that the
day has been used to its full with something to show at the end of it. Some have become obsessed
with jumping the gun, to get to the destination without going on the journey, let alone enjoying it!
The concept of physical struggle is now perceived as bad, to the extent that we are desperately
trying to eliminate it (in the western world at least), to our cost. The advancement of human
knowledge and discovery has done much to improve the plight of humanity but it has also done
much to take away the privilege of physical occupation and endeavour. Many children, from
underprivileged and privileged backgrounds alike, with their parents’ blessing are very ready, to
replace hands-on experiences, with virtual ones; the gaming industry was worth $105 billion in
August 2010.

But physical exertion, endeavour, struggle even, is still to this day, necessary in every human life.
When that is not present, an emotional as well as physical vacuum is created, which as we all know,
must be filled. Are our lives any “easier” today? I doubt it. We’ve simply replaced physical struggle
with mental anxiety.

Art, Craft and Manual Production satisfy that need on every level.

When making, a process is gone-through, which uses pretty much all of our faculties:
Desire and/or need; concept; design; sourcing of materials; establishing the strengths and
weaknesses of both material and maker and then through trial, error and ingenuity working with or
around those attributes and limitations, to finally be confronted with something that is real, knowing
that so much of oneself has gone into the very fibre of the work.

But there are obstacles in the form of modern-day fears and insecurities that currently pervade
every aspect of modern life which is so readily passed on to our children. They are no longer allowed
or encouraged to go out, to discover the world around them, in order that they might take risks, to
discover how things work, how they themselves work and how the two work together. They no
longer have the opportunity or are encouraged (as previous generations were) to find discarded raw
materials such as pieces of wood or old bicycle parts, to transform into go-carts or wooden boats,
that really do work. Making is as much a way of discovering how they work as how the world around
them works. We need to restore this human right to them and making – structured or otherwise, can
do that.

Using our hands to create things of beauty, use or both; using the raw materials we find around us,
where a battle of wills ensues between maker and material, grappling and tussling with that
material, until a truce – a compromise and understanding is achieved and something beautiful
emerges. It is this struggle that helps define us as human beings and we need this affirmation, pretty
much on a daily basis, to keep us sane and healthy.

If we know this then why can making not become once more an integral part of our society and the
way we (parents and teachers) teach our children? What happened to Woodwork, Metalwork,
Needlework, Home Economics in the classroom? The old adage, “The only way to learn how to do
something is to do it” has never been more true. It is in the classroom and at home where we need
to start again, showing little children that those appendages called hands have a direct link to the
wellbeing of their mind and psyche as well as their sense of place and belonging. Today, a three year
old child has far more idea of what to do with a computer game controller than he does with
Plasticine, Playdoh, Lego or Crayons. I fear that the prophetic vision depicted in the (ironically)
computer-generated animation Wall-E, is much closer than we think!

If such a vision is to be believed, then we may be further down that path than is comfortable to
admit. I would argue that the recent inner city riots have been carried out by people who have come
to believe that there is no point in having a go at anything because it “won’t work” or at least they
have not been shown that it could. Some of us know it can work and that trying is part of the fun,
adventure and fulfilment. These unfortunate people are afraid to take the risk of discovering how to
do something that may or may not have a positive outcome, but from which they can learn and
improve. Instead they do something, which achieves instant gratification with the least effort and
ironically they feel more secure in doing because they are sure of the outcome. You throw a brick
through a window; you know what’s going to happen! But that is all that is ever going to happen- no
wonder frustration and violence are never far away. With making, there is always new territory to be
discovered, in the skill and in oneself.

If we could only pass onto others that sense of achievement and what it feels like to stare upon the
tangible and positive result of one’s own useful endeavours, then it will go at least some way to
improving the lot of individuals who currently have no hope.

The Craft of an Artist Blacksmiths is based on the ancient principles of hot forging iron and steel, working with a fire, a hammer and an anvil. Forging provides a means of shaping and joining metal that invests it with a special quality and character, far removed from the mechanical qualities of cut and weld fabrication. New methods like computer aided design, sophisticated welding and cutting systems, and power hammers have added to the capabilities of modern blacksmithing, but not compromised the hand skills that lie at the heart of our craft.

     Blacksmith traditional joints                  Mechanical jointing  

                               Rivet                                                                    Screwed together

         Collar – used to told the metal in   place                                         Welded together 

                      Heel Tenon joint                                                                     Welded joint 

Why are gates and railings the last consideration when it’s the first thing people see?

Gates and railings not only distinguish the entrance and perimeter to a property they create a first impression to all visitors and passers-by. We often ask ourselves us why house owners will spend freely on the interior design and furnishings in the hope of creating a good impression but totally overlook the front boundary. It is an important enhancement to any property and has traditionally been seen as part of the overall architectural concept. Gates and Railings are a symbol of good taste and status. Stately homes traditionally commissioned grand and lavish designs to grace a main entrance.

Today, gates and railings are a focal feature and increasingly a medium of expression, both personally and sculpturally; a piece of art combining beauty and function that everyone can appreciate. They add a feel good factor to a property, quality in the form of craftsmanship, using traditional techniques to recreate time-honoured designs. Ironwork is individual yet distinctive, combining traditional skills and designs that have stood the test of time.

Railings are functional boundaries defining a space, an attitude re-enforced by the fact that heritage grant aid has in many cases been used to reinstate period railings, removed in The Second World War for scrap, designs being copied from old photographs. These often reflect the design ethos of the time in terms of proportion, style and quality of manufacture, a tradition that continues to this day, although increasingly we are asked to develop new and more artistic ideas.

So why, are gates and railings so often one of the last items to be commissioned?  Budget constraints, over spend, lack of interest? Surely the front garden and driveway should not merely act as a thoroughfare to the sanctuary of the house, but rather announce to the world the dedication, care and love that has gone into making this home?

If nothing else, nicely designed Gates and Railings create a first impression that can make a real statement, showing the onlooker your understanding and appreciation of quality design and craftsmanship as well as giving your home a sense of grandeur and privacy.

‘What I am aiming to do is to create exciting and unusual furniture from the wood I use. The designs often have a visual simplicity, which belies the complexity of the making but which speaks clearly about the nature of the material. A recurring characteristic is the application of a dramatic new twist to the use of a traditional and well-proven technique.’

Furniture maker aims to give the traditional a sense of the unusual

The one tree project was simple in condept and glorious in outcome. In November 1998 a huge Oak was felled in Tatton Park, Cheshire, and its trunk, branches, twigs, leaves and sawdust distrubuted amongst 75 artists and craft makers to turn into furniture or artworks. 

The resulting pieces - furniture, jewellery, toys, paper, baskets, ceramics and sculpture - formed an exhibition, which toured five major venues in Bristol, London, Edinburgh and elsewhere. Profits from the sale of work went towards the creation of new woodlands.

One of the furniture makers involved was Michael Slaney, who made a small side table, a gap table (as he calls it), whose two separate surface boards were joined by wedged dovetail keys. The Oak boards were also fumed, to give a darker contrast to the paler legs and dovetail keys; The finished table selling to a collector within the first week of the exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

“I was deligted to be selected for the One Tree Project” says Michael. “For me, it provided the rare opportunity to design and make something with no constraints, other than the material. I think that the concept was a stroke of genius and it is no exaggeration to say that it raised both public awareness and the general standard of this kind of exhibition in the UK. I am sure that Gary Olson and Peter Toaig, who dreamt up the idea, had no way of knowing just how big it was going to become. I still feel proud to have been a part of it.”

Michael created the gap table at workshops near Armathwaite but these days he is based near Broughton in Furness, where his fine individual furniture is made with hardwoods like Oak, Sycamore, Elm, Maple, American Black Walnut and English Cherry. The Gap Table has since been developed into a much larger body of work.

Much of Michael’s work is done to commission but he also designs speculative pieces for galleries, exhibitions and shows, like the Lowther or the Holker Garden Festival, to demonstrate his range of skills and craftsmanship. Such pieces might be dining tables, coffee tables, side tables, chests of drawers, dressers, mirrors, cabinets, chairs, music stands, blanket boxes and writing tables.

He is known too for his handshaped wooden vessels. In some of them the liming of a grained or texured surface gives an unusual and striking result. If a wood has an grain like Oak, the lime will catch in the grain, however if the grain is very close, as in Sycamore, Michael creates a texture on the surface instead in which the lime will catch.

“I think there’s been something of a renaissance in craft over the last few years and that’s partly due to certain programmes on the television. They give people a much greater awareness of aspects of design and show that you can go out there and comission pieces for your own home”, says Michael who is on the Craft Council’s national register of makers.

One of his commissions in the last year was for a new display cabinet (Cherry, Maple and glass) at Higham Hall, the Lake District’s residential college for adult education near Bassenthwaite, where many of the courses are devoted to craft. The principal, Alex Alexandre, who is himself a furniture maker, says it was an easy decision to ask Michael to design and make the new piece.

“His work shows just the qualities that I would like to promote in our approach to the crafts. Innovation in design, quality in making and choice of materials, awareness of tradition and contemporary developments. Although the brief was specific as far as size and materials were concerned, the commission allowed considerable design freedom and as as result, a unique piece has been made.”

As with all commissions the process started with an exchange of ideas. Michael says, “the next step is usually an outline drawing, which can then be modified after further discussion. Finally, from a working drawing he orders materials, in plenty of time to condition them in his workshop before he starts on the piece.

He has been in Cumbria since 1976 when he took on a post as assitant warden of the Conniston Youth Hostel Association, an area he was already he was already familiar with after a walking holiday in his youth.

Over the next few years he worked in a number of the youth hostels in Cumbria and then in 1980-81 he became warden of Carrock Fell near Mungrisdale.

Because he was free during the afternoons at Carrock Fell, a wet day gave him the chance to get stuck into some woodworking while a dry one saw him running across the fells or cycling around the Lakes. He must have covered thousands of miles, either on legs of wheels, in those years - he also ran for Keswick AC - but all the time his interest in furniture making was growing.

This interest finally led to him taking a course at Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education, a three year diploma in furniture craft and management (the fine craft course), from which he graduated with a distinction and with special commendations for design and making. “It gave me a really solid grouding in furniture technique.” he says.

Michael returned to Cumbria and for a short time worked for himself a designer and maker. Then in 1994 he moved to Carlisle College, where over the next eight years he spent much time lecturing in hand crafted furniture. He still completed the occasional commission in his own worksop and he also did a part-time MA in 3D design (furniture) at Leeds Metropolitain University.

Out of some of the work he did on that course, grew one of his ‘signature’ pieces of furniture, typified by a table whose legs appear through its suface in all four corners. The intention is that this detail relates to the handcut, wedged dovetail keys which join the two or three boards of the table top.

Michael is also keen to create pieces out of really unusual pieces of wood, as he did when made a chest out of Elm that contained bark inclusions. This particular tree had been damaged, perhaps by lightning and as it continued to grow, its bark had become trapped inside.

He then formed cardboard mock-ups of the handles and the hinges, which he wanted and asked Cumbrian blacksmith, Chris Brammall to make them. “What I am aiming to do is create exciting and unusual furniture from the wood I obtain. The designs often have a visual simplicity, which belies the complexity of the making but which speaks clearly about the nature of the material. A recurring characteristic is the application of a dramatic new twist on the use of a traditional and well proven technique.” he says.

You don’t need me to tell you that we are smack bang in the middle of a really awful economic slump, created dare I say, as a result of the ‘buy now, pay later’ culture we have come to know but not necessarily love. Couple this with the ‘discard that and buy the next model’ attitude, it’s no wonder we’re in the mess we are.

What happened to the time when we saw something that we really wanted or needed and then knew that it would take us ‘X’ amount of weeks to save up for it? Then, wasn’t it a sweet moment when we could go along and make our purchase? Furthermore didn’t we value such an item all the more because we were only too aware of the effort in acquiring it?

There is nothing wrong in having to wait for something, surely we now realise that in most cases, instant gratification is just that ‘instant’ and the pleasurable after effect is very short-lived.

I would like to suggest that by altering our attitude to the way we purchase and what we purchase, we will not only help our economy but we will actually be providing ourselves with a more meaningful, sustainable and happier existence.

I speak specifically about handmade products and services.

Today the media is full to bursting, of programmes and articles dedicated to the tangible achievements of the past, where experts extol the virtues of craftsmen and craftsmanship. They talk about the detail, the design, the skill, the workmanship and the fact that many of these items are still in working use, literally hundreds of years later.

It may be surprising to learn that there is still, to this day a thriving handmaking and craft industry in Britain today worth an estimated, £3bn per annum to the UK economy* and if common sense has any part in our future then this figure will rise exponentially.

In buying handmade products and services we are not only making a considered purchase, we are making a connection with another human being, who has taken it upon themselves to learn a particular skill, coupled with their life experiences, to produce the most beautiful, useful and desirable things, that will not only make a statement and command attention in our home, but which will also become treasured possessions and heirlooms of the future, that have meaning far beyond their aesthetic or functional value. Our homes will truly become ours when we fill them with individually crafted interiors that reflect who we are as people rather than the generic profile of some large chain store. While we will be secure in the knowledge that we are not only spending our ever more hard-earned cash really well but that we will be genuinely contributing to our local economy by supporting our local craftsmen and women.

And while we not only have the economy but the environment to consider, we will be much closer to having a positive effect in this direction as well, if we purchase products and services that have been created with an almost instinctive awareness of sustainability because handcrafted items are more often than not produced from renewable or recycled resources.

So my message would be instead of "Buy Now, Pay Later" why not ‘Buy Once, Buy Well’ and keep your local craftsmen and women going and yourself a lot happier!

Don’t think for a minute that I am talking about turning your house into a living museum, as an homage to purely traditional/heritage crafts; There is some really cutting edge, contemporary stuff out there as well, it just happens to have been beautifully crafted by hand and will almost certainly outlast it’s machine-stamped counterpart by years if not generations. If that’s not value for money I don’t know what is!

* (Creative and Cultural Skills Report 2008).